Syunik Governor Prepares for Elections: 'Hraparak'

The newspaper 'Hraparak' reports: 'In Syunik, Azerbaijanis are seizing the territory of the Republic of Armenia, while the government is consolidating its positions. The day before, when residents of Syunik were raising alarms about the incidents in Ishkhanasar, the Governor of Syunik appointed the second temporary acting mayor in Tatev. Arthur Matevosyan has run for mayor multiple times over the past years and has always lost.

'Today he is aligning with the authorities, and ahead of the elections, they have set a goal to strengthen their positions in Syunik. The newly appointed acting mayor informed the staff from the very first moment that he is starting a personnel purge and will decide who he will work with and who he will not. The first directive he gave was to the 23-year-old Mari Tevosyan, the former mayor's advisor and responsible for economic development in the township, urging her to write a resignation letter. 'Today, the newly appointed official called me in and stated that he does not want to work with me. When I asked him what the reason was and what legal grounds he had, he replied that he simply did not wish to. He urged me to either submit a voluntary resignation or he would dismiss me.' Mari recounted, adding that many others in the office are also threatened with unemployment: 'I have worked in the municipal hall for two and a half years, and I have implemented programs that had not been done before in such scope. I turned down numerous job offers in the capital to stay and develop my home community, and today I am facing such treatment.'

It should be noted that the term of the mayor ended in February of this year, and on February 23, the acting mayor was appointed, but ahead of the elections, they have decided to change the acting mayor again,' the article states.